Apple iPads are coming to Verizon & AT&T stores starting October 28th

Call it one surprising shocker out of nowhere this morning as Apple is taking a big dive in furthering the reach of their beloved iPad by bringing it out to the top two powerhouses in the country. Both AT&T and Verizon officially announced today that they will begin to sell all six versions of the iPad in their retail locations across the country starting Thursday, October 28th. Although it might not have been too much of a surprise to see AT&T getting the popular tablet, especially when they provide the service for the 3G enabled versions, but Verizon's announcement of offering the same models is a shocker in itself. With so much questions and rumors regarding Verizon and Apple in talks about potentially bringing the iPhone, this move to offer the iPad strongly solidifies the notion that the relationship is there between the two giants and that anything is possible at this point.

AT&T customers can purchase either the Wi-Fi only and 3G enabled iPads for their customary pricing. As for service though, buyers will have the option of either siding with a $14.99 per month plan which offers a paltry 250MB of data or the $25 per month option which provides for a reasonable 2GB data allotment per month. Obviously, the great thing about the iPad data plan is that it doesn't require you to sign a contract at all – so you can seemingly use service with the 3G enabled one whenever you feel like it. Pricing for the 3G iPads are going for Apple's suggested retail price – so that means $629 for the 16GB model, $729 for the 32GB one, and finally $829 for the 64GB version. Apple COO Tim Cook said, “We look forward to expanding the reach of iPad, allowing even more customers to experience the magic of iPad for themselves. As we approach the holiday season, we are very happy that customers will now be able to buy iPad Wi-Fi + 3G at AT&T Stores.”

Conversely, Verizon appears to be doing something on their end to still tie in their service with the iPad. Regardless, it'll be interesting to see how sales go with the Wi-Fi only models – especially when it's going to be bundled in with their Mi-Fi units. Specifically, Big Red will be providing its Mi-Fi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot routers with the Wi-Fi only models. Pricing breaks down to $629.99 for the Wi-Fi iPad + Mi-Fi, $729.99 for iPad Wi-Fi 32GB + Mi-Fi, and $829.99 for iPad Wi-Fi 64GB + Mi-Fi. Now what's interesting with it is that Verizon's data plan with the Mi-Fi unit is going to be set at $20 per month which will provide owners 1GB of data. But if you prefer to just purchase an iPad without the bundle, Verizon will still sell it to you on a standalone basis. John Stratton, chief operating officer for Verizon Wireless said, “This is the perfect pairing for holiday travels. iPad together with the nation’s largest and most reliable 3G data network allows customers to easily connect on the go wherever they are.”

With some serious competition looming in the horizon, this would naturally help enable the iPad to obtain a greater reach of customers. It'll especially be enticing for Verizon since they can now say with whole heart that they sell Apple products in their stores. Looking further down the road, there are obvious signs that Apple and Verizon indeed might collaborate in finally bringing the beloved iPhone to a whole new range of customers. Still, the iPad's arrival in both AT&T and Verizon stores nationwide will continue to stretch out its tight grip in the tablet market.

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Apple iPad Review

source: Verizon & AT&T